Some of the comments on Twitter are just disgusting:
Whatever the crime committed, do we really want to live in a world where 10 year olds are hung? Or even sent to prison for life?Despite the public's desire for simplicity, people are not either 'good' or 'evil', they are products of their society. When even the most rational people can behave badly under certain circumstances (see:- Milgram experiment), can we really justify calls for hanging or life imprisonment, whatever the crime? Prison should be about rehabilitation and protection of the public, not making the public feel good about their relative 'goodness'. Creating a set of people we can label 'evil' means that we don't have to look so closely at our own behaviour, or our own contributions to society.
We don't yet know the reason why Jon Venables is back in prison, but like the general public I'm not surprised. Not because I think he necessarily has some innate 'evilness', but how could we expect anyone to integrate back into such an irrational society.
1 comment:
I do agree with your post, although this is SUCH an emotive case it is very very hard to try and take a more objective view.
I remember well when it happened back in 93 - I had a toddler of similar age to James Bulger - and it so horrified me when the Jamie Bulger case was reported on the news at that time I used to have to turn off the radio/tv as it was too distressing, too unbearable, to listen to what happened on that day! There is not much in life makes me bury my head in the sand - but that case really did have that effect.
At that time I can remember thinking I HATED those kids, and wanted the absolute worst to happen to them! Eventually however (years on), I was able to think about what had happened; not 'accepting' it in any way of course, or even feeling forgiving towards the two 10/11 year olds, but questioning the events ...what on earth must their lives have been like to drive them to do something like that? (OK, 'who the fuck cares' most probably will say) But, shouldn't their own parents (of Venables and Thompson) have taken some responsibility for the dreadful events of that day? Not easy questions when you start to unthread it all, because in turn their parents (the grandparents) must surely have had at last some influence? It goes on, and back generations; rotten layer upon rotten layer ...
A few years ago, I remember receiving a rather horrible unsolicited 'round robin' email (sent by one of my own relatives!) calling for the two perpetrators to be 'expelled' from the UK. I remember deleting it from my inbox. Don't misunderstand me, I was still in no mood to forget, or even forgive, but they were 10, young children themselves - and in some wider way we all have to take some responsibility for the society we live in.
I am not surprised Venables has been recalled - I would have been more surprised if he hadn't. I predict either if not both may well attempt suicide in the future ...and I suspect most people will somehow feel that if they achieved that, it would still be 'too good for them' - for many people, the only satisfaction will come from the pair of them being strung up - then hung drawn and quartered.
Some things in life can NEVER be put right, and sadly this is one of those cases.
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